Roller type paint dispenser



Aug. 29, 1967 J. M. RENTFROW ROLLER TYPE PAINT DISPENSER Filed Aug. 16,1965

Fig. 3

INI/EN TOR.

James M. Renfrow United States APatent Gice 3,337,899 ROLLER TYPE PAINT DISPENSER James M. Rentfrow, Odessa, Tex. (8923 Santa Clara, Dallas, Tex. 75218) Filed Aug. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 479,886 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-510) This invention relates generally to paint applicators and more particularly t-o a roller type paint applicator which is provided with an integral paint reservoir.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel Iconstruction for a pressure operated roller type paint dispenser which is provided with a self-container paint reservoir and a hand operated spring biased paint pressurizing pump to force the paint in the pressurized paint reservoir into the interior of a roller type paint applicator which is integral therewith.

Another object of this invention is to provide a roller type paint dispenser or applicator which is provided with a simplified means for filling and cleaning the dispenser.

A further object of this invention is to provide a roller type paint dispenser provided with means to evenly distribute paint to the interior of a paint applicator roller integral therewith.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a roller type paint dispenser which is provided with means to stir the paint Within the reservoir of the device in response to normal motion of the device -when applying paint toa surface.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the device of the present invention wherein the paint reservoir of the device is being filled from a paint can;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view -of the device of FIG- URE 1 wherein a portion of the reservoir filling means has been removed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the device of the present invention with portions thereof shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional end view of the device of the present invention taken substantially on the plane of the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the device of the present invention wherein the device has been provided with an extension tube to facilitate the painting of ceilings, for example.

Referring now to the drawings and FIGURE 3 in particular, the roller-type paint dispenser comprising the present invention is indicated generally at and includes a paint reservoir and support means indicated generally at 12 and a roller-type paint applicator means indicated generally at 14.

The paint reservoir and supply means 12 includes-a generally cylindrical reservoir 16. The cylindrical body 16 is provided with a threadably or otherwise removably secured end cap 18 which is provided with a resilient sealing ring 20. 'I'he end cap 18 is further provided with a centrally disposed boss 22 provided with a suitable T-slot aperture 24 therein within which is slidably received and selectively lockable a piston plunger means indicated generally at 26.

The piston plunger means 26 includes a longitudinally disposed shaft 28 provided with a manipulating handle 29, externally of the cylindrical member 16, and a resilient piston 30 secured to the shaft 28 on the inwardly projecting end thereof bymeans of a threadably secured nut 3,337,899 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 32. The piston 30 is preferably formed of a resilient relatively inert material such asV neoprene, for example, and is sized so as to swab the interior surface of the cylindrical body 16 in sealing relationship thereto. The piston 30 is biased into the position shown in FIGURE 3 by means of a cylindrical helical spring 34 or the like which may be placed in compression 'by wtihdrawing the shaft 28 rearwardly and locking the shaft in the keyhole slot 24 provided in the cover 18 by means of an annular groove 36 provided in the shaft 28.

The cylindrical body 16 is further provided with a rigidly secured or integrally formed end 'wall 40. A manually operable valve means 42 is rigidly secured to the end wall 40 in alignment with an aperture 44 therethrough by means of welding, for example. The valve means 42 is a globe-type valve or the like which is pre-ferably provided with suitable threads such as indicated at 46 adapted to threadably receive a lling tube 48. The threads 46 are preferably of a type utilized on a conventional garden hose coupling, for reasons which will become clear.

The end wall 40 -of the reservoir and supply means 12 is further provided with a suitable threaded aperture 48 which is adapted to threadably receive a hand operated spring biased valve means 50.

The roller type paint applicator means 14 includes a. cylindrical Wire mesh roller 54 provided with imperforate end members '56 and 58 which are frictionally retained in assembled relationship to the Wire mesh roller 54 by virtue of the fact that they are press iit into the inner diameter of the roller. Alternately, the end caps 56 and 58 could be secured to the wire mesh roller by means of brazing or welding, for example. The wire mesh roller 54 is covered with -a suitable permeable fabric sleeve 60 or the like which is frictionally or otherwise retained onl the roller 54 by means of drawstring or the like, not shown, provided in the fabric sleeve.

The end caps 56 and 58 of the roller 54 are rotatably. supported upon a conduit 62 one end of which is threadably but removably secured to the bore 64 of the valve means 5,0 such as -at 66.

The conduit 62 preferably extends for a distance straight out from the reservoir and supply means 12 and is longitudinally disposed thereto. The Vconduit 62 then projects laterally and forwardly and is then curved back upon itself to form a support for the roller 54 whereby the roller 54 is preferably at right angles to the cylindrical body 16 of the reservoir and supply means 12. The roller 54 is rotatably secured to the conduit 62 by means of an end cap 68 threadably received on the end of the conduit 62 in sealing relation to the bore of the conduit 62. The roller 54 is prevented from sliding with respect to. the conduit 62 by means of a stop 70 secured to the outer diameter of the conduit 62 by means of brazing or welding, for example.

As seen best in FIGURE 3 the portion of the conduit 62 within the roller 54 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally andradially ydisposed apertures 72 through the wall of the conduit 62 along substantially the entire length of the conduit 62 between the end caps 56 and 58.

As seen best in FIGURE 3, the paint reservoir and supply means 12 is further provided with an agitating means comprising one or more spherical steel balls 74 or the like which roll around the interior of the cylindrical casing 16 in response to the movement of the dispenser 10 thereby maintaining the paint within the cylinder between the piston 30 and the end wall 48, in a properly blended condition. It will be understood, of course, that the spherical members 74 are of such size so as not to occlude or lodge in the aperture 44 and bore 64 of the valve means 50.

As seen in FIGURE 5 an additional length of the conduit 63 may be threadedly secured to the body 51 of the valve means 50 and is accordingly provided at 65 with a coupling means for the reception of the conduit 62 thereby adapting the roller type paint dispenser for the painting of ceilings or the like without requiring the utilization of the ladder.

In operation, the reservoir and supply means 12, of the roller type paint dispenser 10, is lled by threadably securing the ll pipe 48 on the threads 46 of the valve means 42. The valve 42 is then opened and the end of the ll pipe 48 is placed below the surface of a suitable supply of paint such as indicated at 80. The handle 29 of the piston plunger means 26 is then withdrawn thereby creating a partial vacuum within the reservoir and permitting atmospheric pressure to force the paint 80 up through the valve 42 and into the interior of the cylindrical body 16. 'I'he shaft 28 of the plunger means 26 is then secured by locking the groove 36 in the keyhole slot 24 by moving the shaft downwardly into the reduced portion of the slot 24 thus placing the spring 34 under compression. The valve 42 is then closed -and accordingly itmay be seen that as soon as the shaft 28 of the piston plunger means 26 is released from the reduced portion of the keyhole slot 24 the spring 34 will urge the piston 30 toward the position shown in FIGURE 3 thereby pressurizing the contents of the reservoir 12.

To supply -paint to the interior of the roller 54 it is merely necessary to depress the lever 59 of the spring biased valve means 50 thereby urging the valve body 53 downwardly against the bias of the spring 5S Vthus permitting paint to ow from the reservoir 12 through the bore 64, conduit 62 and outwardly through the apertures 72 into theY interior of the roller thereby saturating the permeable sleeve 60. The dispenser 10 is then rolled along in contact with the surface to be painted and the lever 59 of the valve means 50 is depressed periodically, or continuously, as may be required to maintain a sufcient amount of paint within the interior of the roller 54 to assure adequate coverage of the surface being painted. The apertures 72 are preferably of a constant diameter along the length of the conduit 62 within the interior of the roller 54 and are also of such size that they are not readily occluded by any congealed material which may passV through the conduit.

Although not shown, it will be understood that the napped fabric roller 60 may be replaced with any suitable roller covering as long as the covering is suiciently permeable to permit reason-ably free ow of the paint from the interior of the roller 54 outwardly therefrom.

As seen in FIGURE 5, if the device is to be utilized to paint a ceiling, for example, the extension 63 would be interposed between the valve means 50 and the conduit 62 thereby permitting the utilization of the dispenser 10 without the necessity of utilizing a ladder. It will be understood, of course, that the operation of the device shown in FIGURE 5 is substantially identical to the operation as described supra.

Upon completion of painting, the surplus paint in the reservoir 12 may be saved by draining the reservoir through the valve 42, after which a .garden hose, not shown, connected to a suitable source of water under line pressure, may be threadably secured to the threads 46 of the valve 42. The shaft 28 is then locked in a rearward position by means of the slot 36 in the keyhole slot 24 and the `handle 59 is secured in its depressed position by a suitable means such as a wire ring, not shown, thereby permitting water to how into the reservoir 12 and then into the roller means 14 thereby thoroughly cleaning the dispenser 10. It will be understood, of course,

that thismanner of cleansing has been described with regard ,to the utilization of water base-paint, however, if oil base paints are utilized a suitable solvent other thanwater would be introduced through the valve 42 for the purpose of cleansing the dispenser 10.

Accordingly, it may be seen that there has been pro vided a roller type paint dispenser or applicator which is simple in construe-tion, relatively light in weight and which may 'be readily manipulated with one hand to roller paint a surface without the necessity of any cumbersome trailing paint supply lines or hoses.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to lim-it the invention to the eXac-t construction and operation shown and described and accordingly any suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to,.falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A roller paint applicator comprising an elongated hollow paint lreservoir handle means having an end wall closu-re at one end, said end Wall closure including independent first and second inlet and outlet conduit means mounted on said closure, said inlet and outlet conduits each being in independent and direct communication with the interior of said paint reservoir handle means, a irst'valve means interposed in said inlet conduit means and adapted -to pe-rmit filling of said reservoir, pump means carried by said reservoir and adapted to pressurize the contents of said reservoir, a second value means interposed in said outlet conduit means and adapted to selectively release the pressurized paint contents of said reservoir through said outlet conduit, paint applicator roller sup-port conduit means operatively associated with said second -valve means, a generally porous paint applicator roller rotatably journaled about said -paint applicator `roll-V er support conduit, and means placing the interior of said paint applicator roller support conduit in communication with the interior of said paint applicator roller.

2. A roller paint applicator comprising an elongated hollow paint reservoir handle means, said reservoir means including a cylindrical body member having a iirstrand a second end, a cover removably and sealingly secured to one end of said lbody member, said cover being provided with means guiding a hand operated paint pressurizing pump means, the other end of said cylindrical body member being provided with a rigidly secured end wall, independent rst and second inlet and outlet con- -duit means mounted on said end wall, said inlet and outlet conduits each being in independent and direct communieation with the interior of said paint reservoir handle means an inlet valve means interposed in said inlet conduit means, a spring biased normally closed outlet valve means interposed in said outlet conduit means, a rigid paint applicator roller support conduit means operatively associated with said outlet valve means, said rigid paint roller support conduit rotatably supporting a paint roller Aapplicator means thereon, said -paint applicator roller conduit .being provided with a plurality of apertures passing through the wall thereof and adapted to permit the introduction of paint into the interior of :the roller applicator.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said inlet conduit means is further provided with a coupling means for removably securing a lling tube thereto.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein said reservoir means includes a paint stirring means in the interior thereof, said paint stirring means comprising at least one spherical stirring ball. Y

45. The struc-ture of claim 2 wherein said paint applicator roller means includes a cylindrical wire mesh roller, -said Wire mesh roller having a Iirst and a second open end, imperforate end wall means rotatably journaling said wire mesh roller to said rigid paint roller support conduit, said journaling means comprising a pair of end plugs secured in sealing relationship in said ends of said wire mesh roller, and a permeable paint roller sleeve carried by said wire mesh roller and adapted to distribute the paint selectively released within said rroller.

6. The structure of claim 2 wherein said paint pressurizin-g pump means includes a spring biased plunger References Cited means slidably mounted within said reservoil means and UNITED STATES PATENTS adapted to pressun'ze the contents of said reservoir. 167,473 9/1875 Rodden 15 510 7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said reservoir 1,913,466 6/1933 Ackermans 15 559 means is provided with a means of limiting travel of said 5 2,357,763 9/1944 Pratt 15-562 pump plunger means, and said pump plunger means is 2,722,029 11/ 1955 Barnes et al. 15-562 provided with .a detent means adapted -to coact with said 2,964,769 12/ 1960 Mercereau 15-562 reservoir Pump plunger detenf means- ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ROLLER PAINT APPLICATOR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW PAINT RESERVOIR HANDLE MEANS HAVING AN END WALL CLOSURE AT ONE END, SAID END WALL CLOSURE INCLUDING INDEPENDENT FIRST AND SECOND INLET AND OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CLOSURE, SAID INLET AND OUTLET CONDUITS EACH BEING IN INDEPENDENT AND DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID PAINT RESERVOIR HANDLE MEANS, A FIRST VALVE MEANS INTERPOSED IN SAID INLET CONDUIT MEANS AND ADAPTED TO PERMIT FILLING OF SAID RESERVOIR, PUMP MEANS CARRIED BY SAID RESERVOIR AND ADAPTED TO PRESSURIZE THE CONTENTS OF SAID RESERVOIR, A SECOND VALUE MEANS INTERPOSED IN SAID OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS AND ADAPTED TO SELECTIVELY RELEASE THE PRESSURIZED PAINT CONTENTS OF SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH SAID OUTLET CONDUIT, PAINT APPLICATOR ROLLER SUPPORT CONDUIT MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS, A GENERALLY POROUS PAINT APPLICATOR ROLLER ROTATABLY JOURNALED ABOUT SAID PAINT APPLICATOR ROLLER SUPPORT CONDUIT, AND MEANS PLACING THE INTERIOR OF SAID PAINT APPLICATOR ROLLER SUPPORT CONDUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID PAINT APPLICATOR ROLLER. 